May 11, 2018 – Harlowe Bar – Dinner – West Hollywood, CA.

I had my Birthday party here back in January and they really did a great job. When manager Billy Bob said he wanted me to come in for a proper tasting I jumped at the opportunity.

Friday night in any city is usually happening, this Friday night was an old friend of mine’s happy hour birthday celebration there at Harlowe Bar, so that added to the fun vibe. Through another friend I met Lynn Powers and her daughter Blaze. Blaze has a band and is a great performer. She also has been the bar manager at Harlowe Bar for the last 2 years. She set me up with my cocktails which added to my overall experience and knowing a friendly face working at the bar added to my overall experience. So all in all it was like I was a regular at Harlowe Bar, at least for 1 night.

At Harlowe Bar, the cocktails and décor illuminate the elegance and decadence of the Golden Age of Hollywood, with a playful list of classic and original cocktails, fountain and bottled drinks, homemade libations, and more. The menu is rounded out by a selection of old-meets-new dishes, which elegantly compliments Harlowe’s tastefully ambitious design.

Miss Cross – Kettle One Vodka, dimmi, strawberry, rose water, lemon, orange bitters, and bubbly. Right up my alley with the Kettle One vodka, I would order this next time.

Art & Zen – Suntory Toki Japanese whiskey, Gifford peche, green tea, lychee, yuzu, lemon, tonic, with grapefruit oils. Not quite for me but if you are a whisky drinker then this is the cocktail for you.

Idle, Wild – Aviation gin, Braulio Amara, mint, ginger, lime, Belgian beer, and Angostura. I really like the combination of all of these ingredients, even though I don’t drink Gin very often.

Wine:

Conundrum White Wine, a creamy wine that paired great with the mussels.

Intrinsic Red 2016, a nice full bodied wine that was a good addition to the burger.

Appetizers:

Moules Meuniere – Pei mussels, Italian sausage, romas, and white wine. Lots and lots of garlic but a super choice for an appetizer.

Summer Squash – Summer squash, balsamic gastrique, with burrata. This is served with grilled bread and was just brought to me; it is a very healthy option.

Baked Meatballs – Beef & pork blend, marinara, burrata, and spinach. These are huge meatballs with a great marinara.

Harlowe Burger – White cheddar, arugula, caramelized onion, white mushroom, garlic aioli, with crispy fries. This was my favorite thing of the evening. The meat is juicy and the onions and cheese are truly spectacular.

Sweets:

Choco Chip à la Mode, the cookie is served hot in a mini iron skillet, the ice cream melts right on top, and a nice way to end a glorious evening.

Chef Garcia Jacento does a great job in the kitchen and manager Lance Stacy, manager who came from the bay, are working for Alice Waters and Tom Keller, Spectrum Food Group, Prego, and Ciao restaurants. He made me feel right at home.

The interior is Hollywood Glam but we are talking about a time that no longer exists, so it’s nice to be feel nostalgic and be brought back to the golden age. The bar is the centerpiece and all of the socializing takes place there. Then, you’ve got small banquets that fill up the space. Old time bar stools, vintage light fixtures and photos make for a flash back to the past. There are not many bars in Los Angeles that take this kind of design approach. But all in all it makes you feel great about going back in time.

Harlowe is a fun social hang, offering good food and lively drinks. The scene is super hipster, but there are no snobby airs here, the staff tries to make you feel at home and they do a great job. On the weekend they have a DJ with a long line outside to get in; it’s really a huge deal on any given weekend night.

So get your party on and try Harlowe Bar with your friends, family and loved ones!